Caracas Calls Possible US Sanctions Against Venezuela's Partners Blockade Tools

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) – The possible US sanctions against financial institutions working with Venezuela are the tools aimed at imposing a blockade on resources belonging to Venezuelans, the South American country’s Deputy Foreign Minister, William Castillo, said.

"Bolton announces the new ‘sanctions’ against Venezuela. Read this like measures of theft, confiscation, blockade and despoliation of resources belonging to Venezuelans," Castillo wrote on Twitter.

On Wednesday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton warned international financial institutions about potential sanctions if they engage in any transactions that benefit Maduro.

The United States, alongside a number of its allies, supports Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has proclaimed himself the country's interim president. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, supported by Russia and China among other states as a legitimate president, has accused Guaido of acting at the instructions from Washington in a bid to oust his government and get hold of Venezuela's oil assets.

READ MORE: US and Opposition Want to Unleash an 'Oil War' to Invade Venezuela — Maduro

US Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams has said that Washington was considering imposing sanctions on third-party countries over their ties with Maduro's government.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called Abrams' statement "arrogant."